1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to heat exchanger attachments in general, and specifically to a novel design for an automotive heat exchanger mounting bracket.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automotive heat exchangers generally include a central core made of regularly spaced tubes and intermediate corrugated air fins. The tubes extend between a pair of header tanks at opposite ends of the core. A pair of reinforcement members extend along sides of the core between the tanks. The heat exchanger is usually mounted to a vehicle or other heat exchangers by bracket(s) extending from the header tanks or from the reinforcement members to a vehicle structure, where the bracket accepts a fastener. Most of the brackets are metal pieces that are somehow held in place before the brazing operation and then are brazed into a fixed attachment. Such is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,570,737 where the bracket clamps on to the header tank prior to the furnace brazing of the heat exchanger assembly.
The addition of the bracket during the furnace brazing introduces irregularities to the braze temperature profile. In addition, such brackets are limited to locations on the pre-brazed heat exchanger that are able to receive and retain the bracket until after the brazing joins the components.
Separate brackets may be attached to the unit after the brazing operation, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,819, where the brackets are bolted by fasteners to the core assembly by one or more fasteners for each of the four brackets. Using fasteners requires considerable labor and additional equipment.
To avoid such labor a plastic bracket may be snapped onto the heat exchanger, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,513,579. These plastic brackets are light molded pieces that are attached to the corners entirely post braze, in a simple press fit operation that requires no additional fasteners. An additional plastic bracket as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,691,767, utilizes a molded plastic bracket designed to engage the extruded rail on the header tank. The extruded rail is machined with additional features, such as three holes, to allow the bracket to snap onto the rail.
There is always utility for a simple and unique bracket that can accommodate the brazing and processing of the heat exchanger, requires no additional fasteners or machining, and allows flexibility to locate the bracket along the length of the heat exchanger for better integration with the demands of the complex vehicle structures and the varying location of mating components.